Internal combustion engine



Feb. 7, 1933. A. M. NIVEN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed May 30, 1930 2 Sh'eets-Sheet 1 INVENTORQ flrc/Ez'c M M210:

A TTORNEY.

Feb 7 1933. A. M. NIVEN INTERNAL CQMBUSTION ENGINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 30, 1930 INVENTOR.

A TTORN E Y.

' Patented Feb. 7, 1933 seems is." ma orna'rfion', meme assrenoa, BY mm ASSIGNMENTS, ro

communal. anew]: a coaroaa'rrou or nnrawazan m'rman comms'rron Enema a p maon man :0, 1m; scan autumn.

My invention relates internal combustion, .7

ftion relate to various structural details and .mechamsm that will be described in more deengines and-is. related more particularly to the exhaust gas collecting ring-and the sup-V porting, means therefor: .i It has been customary to rigidly securethe exhaust gasscollecting ring to the crankcase structure of'an internal combustion engine of the radial type by means of bolts or other suitable fastening devices which bolt thein- "wardly extendingflanges or ears, usuall carriedv by the. exhaust rmg, .to the cran case-- Difliculty has. been experienced however, in maintaining these ears or flanges in the TOP? I stantlally on the line 2.2 of Fig. 1, in through-which the boltes are passed willv er location or positionsothat the holes t ere:

register gwithcthe tapped holes in thecranlncase in which the bolts are-secured. r.It 1s found that these. ears, ;or flanges become; distorted whilelbeing welded tojthe exhaust gas v collectin -ring ,iand quite often the. holesv in the ears o-not reg-isterwith the holes-in the. crankcase," and for this. reason it is found'to' be somewhat; diflicult' attimes lto readily as:

semble thezexhaust gas collectin j the, gine crankcase; v c

It is the object of myinvention to facilitate the manufacture of anninternal; combustion engine of the radial typehaving an exhaust gas collecting ring, byv provldingan im roved supporting means for securingthe col ecting ring to the crankcasestructurep Another lob'ect of my invention is to facilitate the assem ly of an exhaust, gas collecting ring-with thecrankcasestructure ofan internal combustion engineof the radial type byproviding supporting means for the collectmg ring which supports said ring from the,

crankcase in floating relation therewith, and

which eliminates the necessity of providing. recesses or holes that must accurately register to permit bolts orother ,fas'teningdevlces to ass therethrough. T

1 further object of my invention is to increase the efiiciencyofan internal combustion engine of a radial type'by providing means for controlling the flow of air utilized for cooling purposes past the engine structure, thereby more efliciently and positively concentrating the cooling'medium at points where it ismost needed.-

Further objects and features of my inventail hereinafter, and a more detailed understanding of my invention may be had by reference to theaccompanying drawings which illustrateone form which my invention may i assume, andin which:

Fig.1 is an elevational. view of the front of an air .cooled internal combustion engine of the radial type showing the exhaust gas collectin ringassembled therewith,

Fi .2 1s a sectional view thereof taken sub- Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed sectional view throu h the supporting means which support j ring, and taken on prises the usual crankcase structure 10 to which a plurality of cylinders 11 are secured and disposed radially about the crankcase, each cylinder rovide d with anr exhaust manifold 12 of su stantially standard construction. i An exhaust gas collecting ringis assembled with engines ofthis character, this ring being usually located to the front of the engine and supported by suitable means from 'the'engine crankcase. I have provided an exhaust vgas collecting ring 13 to which I secure a plurality of elbows 14* arranged to be suita 1y connected with the manifold sections '12 secured to the various cylinders. This collecting ring is arranged to be supported from the crankcase but in full floating relation therewith. A supporting ring 14 is secured to the frontend of the engine crankcase by means of bolts or other suitable fastening devices 15. A plurality of internally threaded recesses 16 are provided about the perimeter of the supporting ring and extended radially inwardly of'the supporting ring. I preferably have provided at east 4 of such recesses, these recesses being arranged to adjustably receive a collecting tin supporting or clamping means. The col acting ring supporting or clampmg means com rises a bolt 17 having the usual hexagonal ead 18 and a ball portion 19 at one end which is swiveled within a clamping pad 20 (see Fig. 3). The shank of the bolt 17 is provided with external threads and is arranged to be adjustably threaded into the internally threaded recess 16, any suitable form of lockin nut 21 being employed to lock the bolt with respect to the supporting rin 14. To assemble the exhaust. gas collectmg ring with the engine, the same is as-.

sembled over the front end of the crankcase and to the elbows 14 secured to said manifold sections 12 carried by the cylinder. When the exhaust ring has been thus located the bolts 17 may be adjusted with respect to the supporting ring by relatively turning the threaded bolt in the internally threaded recess until the swivclly sup orted pad 20 engages the inner annular sur ace of the collecting ring. All of the su porting means which are disposed in space relation about the su porting ring are adjusted so that the swivel y su ported pads carried thereby are all clampe tightly against the inner face of the collecting ring. The lock nut 21 is then screwed down and the adjusting screw is thus fixed in position and the connecting ring is rigidly supported from the crankcase structure, but in full floating relation therewith. Preferably, the collecting ring 13 1s positioned substantially concentric with respect to the axis of the crankshaft, A of the en ine. However, where the propeller shaft is driven from the crankshaft through a suitable gear reduction means, the collecting ring is preferably arranged concentrically about said propeller shaft.

The sup orting ring 14 is constructed with a larger iameter than the crankcase front end and is provided with a plurality of openings 25 disposed in spaced relation around the su porting ring to perm't air to flow through the su porting ring into a passage 26 formed by tl ie flared cowling 27 which is arranged to be rigidly secured to the crankcase, this cowling being provided with suitable openings that register with the openings 25 in the supporting ring. A shutter structure 28 is adjustably supported by the supporting ring by means of the bolts 15 which secure said supporting rings to the crankcase structure. These bolts preferably are extended through the annular slots 29 carried by the shutter 28 and thus it is possible to adjustably position the shutter w th respect to the supporting ring, this shutter provided with openings 25 to allow a full flow of air therethl'ough, or they may be rotated as to close the openings 25 and to prevent the flow of air through the openings and into the passage 26 to the rear of the supporting ring and adjacent to the crankcase structure.

'A ring 35 ispreferably secured to the rear of the supporting ring, the same bein clam ed between the supporting ring an the ared cowling 27 in a manner as shown in Fig. 3. This ring" 35 is provided with an annular horseshoe slot or opening 36' that extends almost around the fill and which is covered by a screen 37 whic is preferably of a fine mesh and so arranged as to remove heavy particles from the air screen which are thrown against the engine.

Although I have illustrated but one form of my invention and have described in detail but a single application thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, that various modifications and chan es may be made therein with out departing rom the spirit ofmy invention Y plurality of means 'adjustably carried by' the crankcase structure and 1 rovided with a swivelly supported pad, sai means adapted for ad'ustment radially outwardly to clamp the swlvelly supported pad againstthe inner surface portion of said exhaust ring to su port the same in suspended relation with sa1d crankcase structure.

2. In an internal combustion en ine of the radial type having a crankcase an a propeller shaft projecting beyond the crankcase front end, a supporting ring fixed to the crankcase, an exhaust ring concentrically positioned about the supporting ring and secured thereto, an air duct open ad acent the crankcase front end and extendin to the rear of said supporting ring for con nin the air flowing therethrough to a predetermined path, said air duct open at the front, and adjustable means for regulating the size of the front open end of the air duct.

3. In an internal combustion engine of the radial type havin a crankcase and a propeller shaft projecting beyond the crankcase front end, a supportin ring fixed to the crankcase and provid with one or more annular openings, an exhaust ring secured to said supporting ring, an air duct in communication-with said opening or openings in said supporting ring and ext-endin tothe rear of said supporting ring, and a justable valve means for said opening or openings.

4. In an internal combustion en ine of the radial type having a crankcase and a propeller shaft projecting beyond the crankcase front end, a supporting ring fixed to the crankcase and provided with one or more annular openings, an exhaust ring secured to said supporting ring, said crankcase having a member cooperating therewith to provide an air duct surrounding the crankcase and cated intermediate the exhaust ring porting ring.

communicating with said opening or openings in said supportin ring, said air duct extending tothe rear 0t said supporting ring, and an adjustable shutter responsive to manual operation for the opening or openings in said supporting ring.

5. In an internal combustion engine of the radial type having a crankcase and a propeller shaft projecting beyond the crankcase front end, a supporting ring fixed to the crankcase, an exhaust ring secured to said supporting ring and radially spaced there-.

from, and a. screen member secured intermediate said supporting ring and exhaust ring.

6. In an internal combustion engine of the radial type having a crankcase and a propeller shaft projecting beyond the crankcase front end, a supporting'ring fixed to the crankcase and provided with one or more annular openings, an exhaust ring secured to said supporting ring, said crankcase having a member cooperating therewith toprovide an air duct surrounding the crankcase and communicating with said opening or openings in said supporting ring, said air duct extending to the rear of said supporting ring, means for supporting said exhaust ring in substantially concentric floating relation with respect to said crankcase structure, said exhaust ring radially spaced from the supporting ring, and an annular screen element secured to said crankcase structure and loand sup- 7. In an internal combustion engine of the radial cylinder type having a crankcase and a propeller shaft projecting beyond the crankcase front end, an exhaust ring located substantially concentric with the propeller shaft and constructed to encircle the crankcase in spaced relation therewith to provide an air duct extending to the rear of said exhaust ring and lying intermediate said ring and crankcase, and means regulating the flow of air through said air duct.

8. In an internal combustion engine of the radial cylinder type having a crankcase and a propeller shaft projecting beyond the crankcase front end, an exhaust ring located crankcase front end. an exhaust ring located substantially concentric with the. propeller r shut and constructed to encircle. the crank- ARCHIE M. NIVEN. 

